Following my Heart in lieu of mainstream society

Do You Really Want To Be Like Jesus?

We Christians love to cry out, “Lord! I am Yours! Make me more like you, Jesus! Have Your way in my life! Use me Lord!”

So many phrases like these are uttered, and then, when the Lord allows the very trials that produce a more Christ like existance to come into our lives, we falter. We get tired. We get angry. We feel unappreciated, disrespected, victimized, hurt, and more. We gripe. We moan. We complain to anyone who will listen and validate us, but when we get back to church, it’s back to, “Lord, I want to be used by You!”

It’s a wonder that the Lord doesn’t just tell us to shut up, stop lying and sit down. Do we really want to be like Jesus?

Let’s look at Jesus’ life for a moment. He was mocked and challenged, then later beaten and killed by the very ones he came to die for. He healed them and they wondered by what evil magic he was able to heal. He hung out with sinners and the self righteous ones complained. They tore out his beard, slapped him, spit on him, fell asleep when he asked them to pray, and more, and never have we read about the part where Jesus complained and griped about it to the Lord and gave up because it was too much or too hard.

We don’t see where Jesus said, “Ok. Seriously Abba? I’m done. They don’t appreciate or even understand half of what I am trying to do with and for them. They are rude, mean, ungrateful, unappreciative messes. I’m here to help them and this is the thanks I get?”

We didn’t become believer’s for our own benefit. We became believers to be conformed into the image of God’s Son. The trials we face are opportunities for us to become more like Jesus, so instead of fighting against the trials, our focus should be on learning and growing in the areas and ways that God would have us grown and learn.

We say we want to be like Jesus but we oftentimes lack the maturity to see when we have opportunities before us to do so. The Gospel is not a self serving one. Jesus said he came to serve, not be served, and, if we truly want to be like him, we must come to the same conclusion and seek to love, no matter what, at all costs.